ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN Production Note Project Unica Rare Book & Manuscript Library University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign 2015 Dublinj Nov. 13, 1798. TRIAL OF MR. T. W. TONE. Saturday Mr. Theobald wolfe tone ¡came on his Trial before a Court Martial, at the Barrack of Dublin. ( The Court was compofed of the followng mem- ¡bers: _ , Major General Loftus, Prejident. Col. Vandeleur, Lieut. Col. Daly, Major Armjlrong, Col. Wolfe, Col. Tytler, Capt. Corry. The charges having been read by the Judge Advocate againil Air. Tone, implicating him as a natural born fubjefit of our Lord the King, trai-torouily entering into the lervice of the French. Republic at open war with his Majefty; and being taken in open war ; bearing arms againil his King and country, and afTuming a command in j an enemy’s army, &c &c. He was then called to plead whether guilty or not guilty, on which , Mr. Tone, refpedtfully bowing to the Court, laid he preiumed this was the time in which he ! might read to the Court the ilatement of a few points which he had committed to paper for the occaiion of his Trial. He was aiked, whether in the firil inflance he I would plead to the charge againil him, guilty or ! not guilty ? I He anfwered, that it was not his wiih to | avail himfelf of any fubterfuge, or to give the[ 2 ] Court any umjcceffiiry trouble; he was ready tnt him * ‘e Wh° £ °f ,he char§e exhibited againflfni He was then afked, what r. was the objeft of hi/ reading tne paper in his hand ? Was it any thin/ he wiflied to offer in his defence ? ' ^![a z*1* Ione. ^ ni we red, the paper was certainly -awn up with a view to vindicate, though poffi! biy it could not be considered as a defence ao-ainfl die accufation ; on which he was now called to rr . i T ' •■"*-** VV“J now caneu to Inal. He could not fay whether it was that Jeind of defence which the Court might chufe to hear. He had endeavoured, in the formation, to -L o i ;— iuiuiduon, to ^e as collected and moderate as his feelings could! Bomblv admit. And if r<________________u , • K poflibly admit. And if the Court would *¿0 ¿3 the honour of permitting him to read the paper11 its contents would belt fugged how far it was ad-* miflible as to the reading, and the Court would" have the opportunity to check him where any part“1 reiiding ieemed to them improper. 51 The Court was pleafed to admit the readingJ and Mi lone, who at firit, on his entering the( Court, appeared fomewhat agitated, proceeded in® a firm and unembarraiTed cadence, to read the pa-j( ir. It ftated, that lie had been from his infancy bred up in an honourable poverty, and fince the lirit dawn or his reafion, he had been an enthufiaft to the love or his country. The progrefsof a claf. lical and academical education, confirmed him itill ftronger in thofe principles, and fpurred him on to fupport by a61 ions, thofe opinions he had io itiongly conceived in theory. He was proceedingL J -sit® other matter, when he was interrupted by the ,%nrt with an admonition that any thing lo m-■flammatory could not be heard, as it would only to foment the feditious fpirits of perfons ol Vcertain defcription, who might have gained ad-11 Lttance to the Court. . , i Mr. Tone bowed, fdd he was convinced no per-%■ n 0f the defcription alluded to were prefent Hwe but flood corrected, and ibid he ihould pro-li'ped^to the remainder, which was exempt worn leh objections. He wiihed, however, firil to re-tt!turn his thanks, to the Roman Catholics of Ireland, 11 iwhom he once had the honour to ferve. Heie be ¡¡was again flopped, and the Judge¡Advocateme,rno-1 niihed him, that as it was uietels foj hurl to a-' tempt preffmg on the Court irrelavent matte , ' of a nature to "which the court would not attend, ¡land which, as it mu ft go before the Lord Lieu.e-Want, as part of the matter on which the CouH ¡ihould found its verdict would tern, rathei to in-hire than ferve his caufe. He reminded IV.r. 1 one ; of certain points, mentioned by him in a pnvam ¡liconverfation yefterday, and aavned mn | fine himfelf to thofe points, as more material to J\d!dbne bowed again, and faid hefcould net ! take up the time of the Court by anyiubterhjge to which the forms of the law might entitle h m h ■ admitted the charge of coming m arms ,s t ley-|i der of a French force to invade Ireland, ou - . j man banifhed ; amputated from, all natutal and p j litical connexion with his own coun iy, „ “ j turalized fubjeCb of France, bearing a co 1[ 4 ] ty 'implicítlv tRneí?bl,c; under which it was his du. í;ri3¡ •ind maine> who was a native of Ireland country.0 C°mmanded «« laft expedition fofthls to rtefofficerÍineT-fr0mrVh:lt bad a!readf «ccured to tne Otacers, natives of Ireland, who had been hisdfatenÍ0neth °n íhlS exPeditiou, what would be mini w,hf’• bo'Tever’ he had made up his W £s mhid 16d ^ V“* libeIa! mancho known tn ,w aI?d, PrinciPles> (and was well ever If thoufa?ds) would be convinced in what-enterprize he engaged for the good of his country, n was impartible he could eve? have been and1 finí ' “ aWrob.aíicn or aid to the fanatical and languinary atrocities perpetrated by many ot tne perfons engaged in the ‘recent conflia. He hoped the Court would do him the juftice to be- nabU taat rA™ 11S íbul be aP>horred fitch abomi-•• ptoceedmgs. He had, in evert'public pro- Hves of f h’t 1v’ teen aauated bf the^pureft mo-Imb tiL nfe t f c‘rantly“ and it was the higheft XlL,T l f\i°Ul ‘° tIead in the glorious path tica \nd°Urí b/.t!'eex.ampleofWafhington in Arne-and rrbfeaf0 f f Poland- Ja inch arduous merit and f Puríu‘ts’ Puccefs was the criterion of leftgnedloTsVe! l0t t0 fei1' and be wasS ' 5 3 Penonal coniideratioBs 'hehad none ; the looser Be could meet the fate which awaited him, the moi e agreeable to his feelings; but he could not reprefs his anxiety for the honour of the nation whole ^uniform he wore, and the dignity of that commiffion he had the honour to bear, • as Adjutant General in the French fcrvice. As to the itu-tence of the Court, which he id fully anticipated, lie had^ out one wifh, that it might obtain the ap~ , P1^0 a*AOn °1 tliat gallant and excellent nobleman wno now bears the Chief Government of this conntry, to be indicted within one hour; but the j only requeii he had to foiled of the Court was, that the mode of his death might not degrade the honour of a foldier, l he French army did not feel it contrary to the dignity, or the etiquette of aimo, to giant fimilar favours to emigrant officers taken on returning under Britiili command to in- ? vade their native country. He could r;:colk& two * in fiances of this in the cafes of Char :Hc and Som-breuil, who had obtained their requeii of being fhot by files of grenadiers. A k mlar fate vm the only favour he had to afk. And he treked, that men fufceptible of the nice feelings of a hfrh As honour would not refufe his requeii ; as to the *• it he was perfectly reconciled. Mr. J one thus concluding, bowed with the moft refpeflful politeneis to the Court, who immediately made up their judgment, which, togeth with the grounds on which it was formed, has been laid before his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant fc approbation.[ 6 J Since the Trial of Mr. Tone, he begged that no one ■would be admitted to fee him, not even his nearest relations. He lay in bed on Sunday, until the middle of the day. Early on Monday morning he cut his throat, -but not lo effeftually as he wiihed to terminate his life. A razor was the instrument he ufed in this defperate effort, as he lay in bed, attended by guards. It was intended to execute him yesterday at the front of the New Prifon, but the following occurrence prevented that event'; Yesterday, application was made by Counfellors Curran and Johnfon, to the Court of King’s Bench, for an Habeas Corpus to bring before that Court Theobald Wolfe Tone, grounded on the affidavit of his father, Mr. Peter Tone, purporting that Theobald Wolfe Tone was tried by a Court Martial, on a charge of high treafon, and was ordered for execution, though the faid Theobald Wolfe Tone did cot belong to his Majesty’s army, &c. and that fuch proceedings and fentence was pronounced during the fitting of his Majesty’s law' courts, The Court ordered the Habeas Corpus, and that the prisoner fhould be brought up to the bar of the Court injianter. In fome fbort time an an-fwer was made to the Court, that Theobald Wolfe Tone was unfit to be brought up, having dangerouily wounded himfelf, and the Surgeon belonging to the ¿th Dragoons appearing to give testimony, the Court ordered Mm to be examined, when he depofed that he had vifiled Theobald Wolfe Tone in the Provofl Marihalfea, who was incapable of being removed in confequence of his making an attempt on his life, having with a razor cut his throat acrofs, nearly from ear to ear, and alio fe pa rated the wind-pipe; that languifhing under his prefent condition, he could not be stirred without immediate danger to his life. The bulinefs remained fo far undetermined, as not to admit of any further proceedings, until the recovery of the unhappy gentleman.[ 7 ] Copy of a letter fromT. IV. TONE,to Major the Earl „1 ir r\ *77 - . 1 JVUl/m 1 jKjO J _£V - C*. On my arrival here, Major Chejler informed me that his orders from your Lord ¡hip, in conference, as I prefume, of the direBions of [ 8 ] longing to the Sr hi pi empire, indifpuiably it would be fo; but the motive that dire fled me to give the order I did this morning for your being put in irons was, that I looked on you {andyou have provedyourfelf) a traitor and rebel to your Sovereign and native country, and as fuch you fiall be t reated by me. “ Ip; all enforce the order I gave this morning; and 1 lament as a man thefate that awaits you : every indulgence fiall be granted you by me individually, that is not inconjijlent with my public duly. “ 1 am, Sir, your humble Jervant,. . x ec CAP AN, Major■ General.” HOLT was this day brought to the Caftle, under a ilrong efcort of the Powerscourt Cavalry. He had previoufly furrendered to Lord Powerscourt on terms, It is fa id, of tranfportation. HOLT was dreffed in a military uniform, fcarlet faced with blue, and were a military great coat.